Machine for making windowed envelopes



June 14, 1955 GAMBLE MACHINE FOR MAKING WINDOWED ENVELOPES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 8, 1951 v I J //VVE/VTOR Hedi/ 76272715! e v A TmIPA E) June 14, 1955 H. GAMBLE MACHINE FOR MAKING WINDOWED ENVELOPES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 8, 1951 fiedwg 6 2352;

June 14, 1955 H. GAMBLE 2,710,702

MACHINE FOR MAKING WINDOWED ENVELOPES Filed on. a, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet s fieawy Gav/Mia June 14, 1955 H. GAMBLE 2,710,702

MACHINE FOR MAKING WINDOWED ENVELOPES Filed Oct. 8, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 mvsmon ATTORNEY June 14, 1955 H, GAMBLE 2 ,710,702

MACHINE FOR MAKING WINDOWED ENVELOPES Filed Oct. 8, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR fifow/e 61441545 w v BY ATTORNEY United States Patent: Ofiice Patented June 14, 1955 MACHINE FOR MAKING WINDOWED ENVELOPES Hedwig Gamble, Ponders End, England Application October 8, 1951, Serial No. 250,314

4 Claims. (Cl. 216-25) This invention relates to machines for affixing labels to flat sheets, as, for example, when a window is to be attached to an envelope or card. For instance, it is often desired to cover previously punched or cut out openings in paper or cardboard blanks with material of a different nature, such as transparent film, coloured paper or the like, to enable the contents of a package to be seen or an ornamental effect achieved.

According to the invention, there is provided a machine for affixing labels to flat sheets having a gripper blank feed device adapted to seize a blank bent down from a stack in a magazine, and deliver it to a pair of feed rollers which complete the withdrawal of the blank from the magazine, said gripper comprising a jaw pivoted on and co-operating with an arcuate feed segment formed on a plate which is pivoted on the shaft of one of said feed rollers, the segment being of the same radius as the roller, means for oscillating the plate on the shaft and means for oscillating the jaw on the plate for blank engaging and disengaging motions, said latter means comprising a trap cam over which a follower attached to the jaw travels when the jaw is moving towards the magazine, and under which it travels on the return stroke with a blank gripped between jaw and segment. Further control of the gripper may be afforded by a fixed pin over which the follower moves on both its strokes and adapted to swing the jaw on its pivot near the end of the return stroke, to release the blank when the latter is engaged by the feed rollers.

A blank'may be bent down for engagement by the gripper by an oscillating suction device. An oscillating tooth may be provided, adapted to engage the front of the stack near the base thereof to co-operate with the suction and gripping devices and prevent more than one blank from being removed from the stack at a time.

Adhesivemaybe applied to a blank by a roller having a pad thereon adapted-to apply adhesive to a passing blank, and a co-operating roller movable into and out of blank engaging position, said rollers being located beyond-the feed rollers.

There may be a detector device located beyond said feed rollers, and adapted to be engaged by a passing blank, said detector being coupled to a stop adapted to engage a tooth movable with the said co-operating roller, and prevent it from engaging the adhesive applying pad if no blank passes.

Means may be provided for feeding labeling material from a web and cutting pieces therefrom, said pieces being delivered in turn to a drum which conveys them to the applying position, and presses each piece onto a gummed blank. In combination with web feeding means, there may be a detector device located beyond the blank feeding rollers of the machine, and adapted to be engaged by- -a passing blank, said detector being coupled to a stop pawl adapted to prevent a label from being cut from the web when no blank passes the detector. The stop pawl may also engage an abutment on a cam rod which operates a cutting knife, said cam rod also serving to raise a stop pawl out of engagement with mechanism which drives feed rollers for the web, whereby when no blank passes the detector, the web remains stationary.

The feed of the web may be intermittent and effected for example by ratchet driven rollers which stop while cutting is effected. The ratchet feed and ratchet stop devices of the roller may comprise multiple pawls, suitably staggered to prevent excessive variations in the lengths of web fed and to avoid backlash or overrun. In order to secure uniform web feeding the reel may be braked by a brake controlled by a floating roller which engages the web and maintains the tension substantially constant. In conjunction with the aforesaid detector, there may be devices for stopping the cutting of a label if no blank is fed for said label and devices for preventing web feed if no label is cut.

A great disadvantage of gripper mechanisms, particularly when extracting cards from the underside of a stack, is the extent to which the card or paper has to be bent downwards by the sucker pads before the gripper has room to operate; also, this bending process has a tendency to apply a permanent set or bend to a thick card.

An advantage of the method used on this machine, is that the above mentioned mechanism, compels the gripper to execute different movements in its feed and return strokes, finally drawing it back to a point where its leading edge is clear of the path of the blanks.

An additional advantage of this feed as used on this machine is that the grippers and suction devices can be moved transversely across the machine without affecting angular timing. This is achieved by operating the grippers by an oscillating transverse shaft which is linked. to a cam mechanism asv hereafter described.

' Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view partially in section and showing a machine constructed in accordance with I this invention;

Figs. 2A and 2B together a view similar to Fig. l, to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3, a fragmentary detail view partially in section and to an enlarged scale showing the envelope blank feeding means;

Fig. 4, a fragmentary detail view partially in section and to an enlarged scale showing the strip feeding and severing means; and

Figs. 5 and 6, fragmentary detail views showing the back lash preventing means.

Referring to the drawings, blanks 1 are placed in a magazine 2 whose bottom, from which the blanks are removed, slopes as shown, and theblanks are removed one at a time from the upper edge of the magazine bottom. A large feed roller 3 is arranged near the magazine so that the periphery is a short distance away from the nearest blank. The roller rotates in the direction of the arrows so that a blank fed thereto, as explained below, will be drawn out of the magazine, and on the roller shaft is a cam 4 which operates an oscillating sucker blank feeding device 5 and another cam 6 which operates grip ping devices which will now be described.

The oscillating sucker 5 is of usual kind and is arranged to engage the lowest blank near its upper edge and bend it down a trifle so that it can be seized by a gripper as explained later. The gripper motion cam 6 above mentioned reciprocates a cam rod 7 whereby a lever 8 is rocked about a pivot 9. The free end of the lever is connected by a link 10 to an arm 11a of a gripper support lever or plate generally designated 11 which is pivoted on the roller shaft 12. The free end of the gripper support lever or plate 11 comprises an arcuate feed segment 13 of the same radius as the surface of the large feed roller 3. Thus, as the roller rotates, a gripper 14 supported on the gripper support lever 11 moves to and fro, as indicated by the double headed arrow the gripper jaw moving to engage and grip a blank against the feed segment.

The suction feed cam 4 rocks the sucker on its pivot 15 at the proper times by means of roller 16 and lever 17, a spring (not shown) pulling the roller against the cam.

In addition to these devices, removal of the blanks is conttrolled by an oscillating tooth or stop finger 18 which is moved by a lever 19 having a roller 22 at its free end, engaging a cam 20 on another roller 21 of the machine, so that the tooth rocks on a pivot 23. The stop finger oscillates so as to engage the edge of the stack'of blanks as soon as the lowest has been drawn down or bent by the sucker, so that the friction between the blanks is overcome and only one blank can be pulled out from the magazine at a time. The stop finger also exercises a slight lifting action on the stack to reduce the pressure on the lowest blank while it is being removed. As the sucker -5 comes into engagement with the next blank the stop finger moves out of engagement with the pile.

Above the large feeding roller is a smaller co-operating roller 24 so that a blank delivered into the bite of the rollers is fed onwards as shown. The gripper jaw pivoted at 25 on the gripper supporting plate segment 13 is urged towards gripping position against the feed segment 13 by a spring 26. The jaw is formed on a lever 27 having a cam follower or pin 28 at its end, the arrangement being such that as the gripper support plate swings towards the magazine the jaw is directed towards the blanks. During said swinging movement the pin or cam follower 28 on the free end of the jaw lever first rubs over a flat on a fixed pin 29 towards which it is urged by the spring 26 and thereafter, over a convex shaped pivoted cam or trap cam 30. The pin 29 is fixed on a plate 108 loose on the spindle 12 and held fixed by a. stud 109. The cam 30 is pivoted at 31. At the end of the movement, the pin 28 on the jaw lever 27 moves inwards towards the large feeding roller centre over a suitable face on the pivot end of the trap cam 30, and on the reverse swinging movement of the gripper support plate the pin passes under the inside face of the cam, which is substantially parallel to the outer face. A stiff wire spring 32 tends to keep the trap cam in position with its free end abutting the aforesaid fixed pin, but as the cam follower or lever pin 28 approaches said free end, the pin 28 lifts the trap cam by swinging it about its pivot 31 against the influence of the spring 32,-whereafter the lever pin 28 rubs on the flats made on the fixed pin 29 and returns to its original position. In this way the gripper jaws are kept below the level of the blank being fed after it has been released by the gripper and seized by the feed rollers. In other words, as the gripper moves towards the magazine it opens to receive a blank then closes to grip the blank, as the pin 28 on the jaw lever 27 moves towards the large roller centre. Then the gripper swings away from the magazine and as soon as the blank is engaged by the large feed roller and its co-operating roller, the gripper releases the blank and then moves onwards until it is below the path the blank takes over a fixed support plate 33. As the gripper passes the bite of the feeding rollers 3-24 the latter take charge of the blank which is then released by the gripper. The blank is guided by the fixed support plate shown in part at 33, which guides the blank into the bite of a further pair of rollers, the upper one 21 which is large, being a pad-carrying roller which serves to apply gum to the passing blanks. The shaft 42 of the pad roller carries the cam 20 which operates the previously mentioned lever 19 which works the stop finger 18. The pad 34 on the roller is a metal or rubber pad shaped to suit the outline of the opening in the blank to which opening a window or the like is to be affixed. Any suitable length of pad may be fitted, as the roller has numerous fixing holes for the pad. The lower roller 35 of the pair is small and mounted on a pivoted lever 36 so that it can be oscillated to and fro into and out of blank engaging position so that the blank is supported during gumming by this small roller or anvil roller. Devices for controlling the oscillation of the roller will be described later when certain detector devices are referred to.

Above the pad roller is an adhesive supplying apparatus. This comprises a gum bath 37 in which a roller 38 is rotated. Above this is a roller 39 which picks up gum from the lower one, this roller being pivoted so that by a screw and spring device 40 the pressure between the rollers may be adjusted and the thickness of the film transferred to the upper or squeeze roller varied.

A transfer roller 41 runs in contact with the squeeze roller and transfers gum to the pad as it passes by with the roller rotation. The pad roller spindle 42 is journalled in eccentric bushes 43 for adjustment of the contact between pad and blank. The pad subsequently transfers the gum to the passing blank and the latter passes over a further guide plate 44 being conveyed onwards by suitable feed rollers 4546 towards the label applying position. The top feed roller 45 is pressed down by a spring 47 and positioned by an adjustable stop 48.

The labelling material, for example, transparent cellulose derivative film is supplied to the machine from a reel 49 located towards the other end of the machine. Material is pulled from the reel by two rollers 50 and 51 which are intermittently rotated by a ratchet wheel 84 referred to again later, so as to feed a length of the strip and then remain still while a piece of the required size is cut from the leading end of the strip to provide a label or patch. In the feeding movement the strip is fed between a pair of shears or like cutters 52 and 53, and a clamping strip 54, operated by a rod 58, which holds the strip firmly while cutting takes place; Both knives and the clamping strip are spring pressed as shown by springs 55, 56 and 57 respectively, to secure a certain amount of resilience in their action.

The knife and clamp are operated in the following manner. A cam rod 62 having a roller 63 which engages a cam 64 filled on the spindle of a roller 65, is pivoted to a lever 61 fixed on a rod and thus the rod is oscillated as the cam rotates. A lever 59 fixed to the rod 60 shares this oscillation and has a pin at its free end. This pin works with some lost motion between the jaws of a forked lever 83 fixed to a rod 69, so that the lever and rod are also oscillated. On the rod 69 is clamped another lever 92, Whose free end is pivoted to a bracket 67 to which the knife is fixed. The clamp rod 58 comprises a long slot at its upper end to provide some lost motion and the lower end of the clamp rod is pivoted to a link 111, also pivoted at 112.

The spring 57 pulls the rod downward.

The feeding movement carries the leading edge of the strip into contact with a combining or labelling roller 65, and the end of the strip is attached to the roller by suction exerted through suitable ports 66 in the roller. Cutting takes place and the patch is then conveyed by the roller until the patch engages with the card blank and in register with the opening therein. Beneath the labelling roller is a co-operating support 68 roller and the card and patch are, therefore, squeezed between the two rollers as the labelling roller continues to rotate and thus the patch is caused to adhere strongly to the gumrned card blank. For some materials special gums have to be used, but the above described gummer is capable of dealing even with very stringy adhesives.

As above noted, the strip material is fed intermittently and the varying pull on the strip is liable to cause irregular feeding and consequent irregularities in the patch length, and to prevent this the strip passes under a float? ing roller 79 which controls an adjustable spring brake band 71, engaging a pulley 72 on the reel holder 73, thus maintaining the web tension. One end of the brake band 71 is attached to an arm 74 of a bell crank lever pivoted at 75. The other arm 76 of the bell crank is connected by a link 77 to a lever 78 which carries the roller 70. During running, the floating roller 70 oscillates through an arc and by suitable adjustment of the spring brake band even rotation of the reel is ensured. The feed rollers 51 are operated by ratchet and pawl mechanism and to keep the feed rate constant and avoid variations in the fed lengths there is a multi-pawl drive 79 on the feed ratchet wheel 84.

The pawls 79 are attached to a gear wheel 85, driven by an oscillating gear quadrant 86. The quadrant is pivoted at 87 and a cam rod 88, adjustably attached to the quadrant, has a roller 89 on it which engages a cam 90 fixed to the roller 65. Thus, as the cam rotates, the quadrant is oscillated and the wheel 51 is intermittently rotated by the desired amount. A stop pawl device 91 is provided which can engage the teeth of the quadrant and prevent feeding when desired. This device comprises four thin pawls mounted side by side, and sprung so as to engage the quadrant without backlash. The pawls are mounted on a plate 93, which is pivoted at 94. A rod 95, whose length is adjustable for accurate setting, is pivoted to the plate at 96. The upper end of the rod is attached to the cam rod 62, so when this cam rod makes a down stroke the pawls are lifted from the teeth of the quadrant, and the latter can operate. Means for preventing the pawls from lifting are described later.

By providing a multiple-pawl drive and a multiplepawl stop, backlash or overrun of the feed roller can be prevented.

After a label has been applied as above described, the labelled blanks pass between a pair of accelerating rollers 80 and 81, which deliver them in an overlapped stream on to a slowly moving conveyor belt 82. This may be long enough to carry, for example, eighty blanks and thus time is allowed for the patches to adhere while under a light pressure. ing up and stacking by the machine operator.

Sundry detector devices are provided in the machine. The first of these is to prevent the anvil roller 35 from contacting with the pad roller 21 if a blank has not been fed. The roller 35 is on the end of the lever 36 which is oscillated on its pivot 97 by cam and spring mechanism (not shown), the spring pulling the roller towards the operative position. Fixed to the roller lever pivot 97 is a lever 98 having a stop tooth or abutment at its free end. A co-operating pivoted lever 99 can move to intercept the stop tooth and this co-operating lever is rocked on its pivot 100 by another lever or finger 101 fixed to the pivot, and which is engaged by a passing blank and swung on its pivot. If a blank passes, the lever 99 is moved upwards and clear of the stop tooth 98 and so the lever 36 may swing the roller 35 to operative position. If there is no blank, the lever 99 intercepts the stop tooth 98 and so the roller 35 stays down and cannot become covered with gum.

The movement of the above mentioned finger is also used as a detector to prevent a patch or label from being cut and fed if there is no blank to receive it, thus ensuring the maximum economy of film material. On the finger pivot 100 is a further lever 102 which is coupled by a long push rod 103 to a pawl 104 pivoted at 105, and capable of engaging a notch 106 in the cam rod 62. When the finger is operated by a passing blank the rod 103 moves the pawl 104, which would otherwise prevent the web cutting knife from operating, so a piece is cut off. If no blank passes, the pawl prevents the cut from taking place by engaging the cam rod 62 which operates the forked lever which carries the cutting knife.

As will be appreciated, when the cutting action is suspended, the feed quadrant 86 must also be prevented from making a feeding stroke, otherwise film will be fed when The overlapping facilitates pick not required. To prevent the quadrant from operating, the four spring loaded pawls are so placed that they engage the teeth of the quadrant. These pawls 91 are controlled by the rod from the cam rod 62 which operates the cutting knife forked lever, which is moved in its down stroke by a spring, and thus, when the cutting knife fork descends to cut the film the four pawls are held out of engagement with the quadrant and feeding of the next patch of film is permitted. If, however, the cutting knife :t'ork does not descend and no film is cut, the four pawls stay in engagement with the quadrant and feeding of the next patch of film is not permitted. The film feed rollers have a controlled free wheel device which prevents the film being pulled clear of the feed rollers by the spring loaded brake control roller.

it will be understood that there are grippers on either side or the feed roller, and the gripper support levers are coupled for oscillationn to a transverse shaft and can be moved along it to suit any size of blank. The magazine is also adjustable and comprises adjustable rods movable to accommodate any size or shape of blank.

I claim:

I. A machine for fixing labels to fiat sheets, comprising a magazine having a bottom outlet, means for bending a bottom sheet down from a stack in the magazine, coacting feed rollers, a gripper means movable to seize said sheet and carry it to said feed rollers which grip the sheet, whereupon the gripper releases the sheet, said gripper comprising an arcuate feed segment coaxial with and of substantially the same radius as one of said feed rollers, a jaw pivoted on and cooperating with said segment to grip the sheet, means for oscillating the segment upon the axis of said one feed roller, means for oscillating the jaw on the segment and moving the jaw for gripping the sheet against the segment as the jaw passes over an edge of the sheet during movement of the jaw toward the magazine, a follower connected to the jaw, a trap cam over which said follower travels during said movement and under which the follower travels on its return movement with a sheet gripped between the jaw and segment, and a fixed pin over which the follower moves on both its strokes and adapted to swing the jaw on its pivot near the end of the return stroke to release the sheet when the latter is engaged by the feed rollers.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, having a roller for applying adhesive to a passing blank and a co-operating roller movable into and out of blank engaging position and a detector adapted to be engaged by a passing blank and coupled to a stop adapted to engage a tooth movable with the cooperating roller if no blank passes the detector, means for feeding labelling material and cutting pieces therefrom for application to the blank, said feeding means comprising a ratchet driven feed roller operated by a toothed quadrant, a stop pawl adapted to engage the quadrant teeth to prevent quadrant movement, a stop pawl controlled by said detector adapted to engage a member of the cutting device and prevent cutting when no blank passes the detector, the first said stop pawl being coupled to said member of the cutting device whereby feeding of material is stopped when no blank passes the detector.

3. The machine as defined in claim 1, with the first means comprising a suction device, and an oscillating tooth cooperative with said suction device and said gripper means to prevent other than the said bottom sheet being removed from the stack of sheets at a time.

4. In a label afiixing machine, upper and lower feed rollers, a supporting shaft for each, means for supporting a stack of blanks at one side of the lower roller, means for seizing a bottom blank from the stack and bending an edge thereof downward, a gripper support lever mounted on the shaft of the lower roller for rocking movement, means for rocking the lever, an arcuate feed segment carried by said lever and having the same radius as the lower roller, a stationary cam pin supported on the lower shaft,

the cam pin having a radiaily directed point formed by the convergence of two faces, a gripper jaw pivotally supported by the lever for eoaction with an edge of the feed segment remote from the blank supporting means, a follower member connected with the gripper jaw and adapted to ride over one of said cam pin faces to open the jaw on movement of the feed segment toward a position to receive a blank, and a second cam element for engagement by said follower member and coasting with the other cam pin face to maintain the jaw open during completion of 10 the feed segment movement to said position and to then effect closing of the jaw on return movement of the segment, the follower being guided over said second pin face on said return movement to effect opening of said jaw.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 570,176 Lorenz et a1 Oct. 27, 1896 1,908,291 Goss May 9, 1933 2,061,885 Wensler Nov. 24, 193 2.0 7,301 Noviek Oct. 26, 1937 2,219,693 Ackley Oct. 29, 1940 

